Windhoek: A three-year-old girl died Friday morning after a boundary wall collapsed on her when it was allegedly struck by a reversing vehicle in the Ombili informal settlement at Otjiwarongo. Namibian Police Force (NamPol) Head of Community Affairs in the Otjozondjupa Region, Senior Inspector Maureen Mbeha, said in a media statement on Friday that the deceased was identified as Anna Gases. Her next of kin have been informed.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the incident occurred at about 09h00 at New Ombili. A culpable homicide case has been opened at the Otjiwarongo Police Station against the 47-year-old male driver of the vehicle that allegedly caused the wall to collapse. Mbeha said preliminary police investigations indicate that the driver of a Hyundai mini-truck was reversing out of his yard when the vehicle's spare wheel hooked onto the metal gate.

"The force caused the metal gate to fall to the ground, bringing down part of the boundary wall," she said. At the time of the incident, two children, aged three and six, were allegedly playing outside the yard next to the wall. The wall collapsed on the children, seriously injuring both of them.

Mbeha said the children were transported to the Otjiwarongo State Hospital, where the three-year-old girl later succumbed to her injuries. The six-year-old boy remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition. Police investigations into the matter continue.